Automobile jack



Feb. 23, 1937. I H J, MARLOWE v 2,071,470

AUTOMOBILE JACK Filed April l1a, 193s z sheets-sheet 1 QW/vraie ATTORNEYH. J. MARLOWE AUTOMOBILE JACK Feb. 23, 1937.

Filed April 18, 1933 E1 Sheets-Sheet 2 www Patented Feb. 23, 1937AUTOMOBILE JACK Harold J. Marlowe, New Rochelle, N. Y., assignor toJackomatic Corporation, a corporation of l Delaware y Application April18,

7 Claims..

This invention relates to lifting devices or jacks, and especially tomeans for operating such devices.

Such devices in general, comprise a screw 01 spindle which when rotatedin oneV direction elevates the jack and when rotated in the other'direction lowers the jack. Heretofore, it has been common practice torotate the screw or.4

spindle by means of either a crank handle or a vertically movableratchet lever, a crank handle being generally employed in connectionwith quick acting jacks designed to carry light loads and a ratchetlever being generally employed in connection with slower acting jacksdesigned to carry relatively heavy loads. Both of these arrangements,however, operate in a vertical plane consequently when the verticaloperating space is limited, as for example, when raising and lowering anautomobile, neither arrangement is satisfactory.

An object of the present invention is to provide means for operating alifting device or jack Where the vertical operating space is limited.

Another object of the invention is to provide means whereby a jack maybe rapidly operated by a crank handle when subjected to a relativelylight load and by a ratchetlever when subjected to a relatively heavyload.

In accordance with the present invention, the above and other objectsare attained by providing means for rotating the screw or spindle ofsuch devices by a crank handle having a relatively short oifset or leverportion and with a horizontally movable ratchet lever. More specliicallythe operating screw or spindle of such devices is provided with a maindrive gear which may be operated by a crank handle or by a horizontallymovable ratchet lever through the medium of an auxiliary gear, the maindrive gear being rotated by the crank handle while elevating the jackintol frictional engagement with the load and then by the horizontallymovable ratchet lever through the medium of the auxiliary whileelevating the load.

In the accompanying drawings, the invention is shown merely in preferredform and by way of example and as applied to a jack of the lazy tongtype, but obviously many changes and variations may be made therein andin its mode of application, which will be comprised within its spirit.It should therefore be understood that the invention is not limited toany specific form or embodiment, except in so far as such limitationsare specied in the claims.

193s, serial No. 666,645

(c1. asi-126) Referring to the drawings: v

Fig. 1 is a side elevational view, in section, of a jack in raisedposition which embodies the principles of the'present invention:

Fig. 2 is an elevational' view of the jack in lowered position, and

Fig. 3 is a top plan view of Fig. 2.

As shown, the base of the jack comprises an oblong plate I0, theopposite end edges of which are turned upwardly to permit the jack to,be easily pushed or pulled along a supporting surface and a reenforcingplate I| which issecured to the plate Il) and the side edges of whichare bent upwardly to formsupporting flanges I2 and I3. The anges I2 andI3 are provided with bearing bolts or rods I4 and I5 uponwhich the lazytong superstructure is pivotally mounted.

The lazy tong superstructure comprises a plurality of pairs of crossedlinks. The lower ends of one p'air of links I6 and are pivotally mountedon the ends of the rod I4 and the upper ends of these links arepivotally mounted on trunnions I8 and I9 which extend from the oppositeends of a spacer block 20. The lower ends of 'a similar pair of links 2|and 22 which cross the links I6 -and I1 respectively are pivotallymounted on the other bearing ends of the rod I5 and the upper ends ofthese links 2| and.22 are pivotally mount.- ed on trunnions 23 and 24which extend from the opposite ends of aspacer block 25. The upper endsof two supporting links 26 and 21 are also pivotally mounted onthetrunnions I8 and I9 respectively and the lower ends of these linksare pivotallyconnected to the links 2 |l and 22 by pivot pins 28 and 29respectively to prevent horizontal movement of the superstructure duringoperation of the jack.

The lower ends of another pair vof links 30 and 3| are also pivotallymounted on the trunnions 23 and 24 respectively and the, upper ends ofthese links are pivotally mounted on the-opposite ends of a bearing rod32. The lower ends of another l pair of links 33 and 34 which cross thelinks 30 and 3| respectively are pivotally mounted on the trunnions I8and I9 respectively and the upper" ends of these links are pivotallymounted on the opposite ends of a bearing rod 35. The crossed links 30and 33 and the crossed links 3| and 34 are pivotally mounted on oppositeends of a cross rod 36, a spacer collar 31 being positioned on the crossrod 36 to maintain the inner links in spaced relation.

A dished bearing plate 38 is slidably mounted on the rods 32 and 35, theends of the bearing 56 ratchet lever.

plate being bent inwardly around the roos 32 and 35 to prevent,displacement.

The expansion and contraction of the lazy tong arrangement to raise andlower the jack is eiected by the rotation of a spindle 39, an unthreadedportion of the spindle being journaled in the spacer-block 20 and athreaded portion of the spindle being disposed in ya threaded openingwhich extends through the spacer block 25.

In accordance with the present invention means are provided to permitthe spindle to be rotated by a crank handle and by a horizontallymovable The means desirably employed for this purpose comprises a maindrive bevel gear 40 and an auxiliary gear 43, the teeth of which are inmesh with the teeth of the main drive bevel gear 40 and less in numberthan the number of teeth on the main drive gear 40 so as to give areduced gear ratio. The main drive bevel gear 40 is in threadedengagement with the end of the spindle 39 and is secured thereto as by apin 4| so as to rotate in unison therewith. The auxiliary gear 43 ismounted on a shaft 42, the lower end of the shaft being journaled in theupper face of the spacer block 20. The upper end of the auxiliary bevelgear 43 comprises a hub portion 44 which is journaled in the horizontalsection of a shelf member 45, the vertical section of the shelf member45 being mounted about the spindle 39 adjacent the inner face of thespacer block 20. A pin 46 is positioned in the spindle 39 adjacent theouter face of the vertical section of the shelf member 45 to prevent thespindle from being forced outwardly through the block 2l) when the jackis operated. The upper end of the shaft 42 is provided with a squaredportion 41 to permit the shaft and the auxiliary gear 43 to be rotatedby a horizontally movable ratchet lever 48. A crank handle 49 extendsupwardly and outwardly from 40 the outer periphery of the main drivegear 40,

the length of the lever portion of the handle being such as to permitthe. handle to be rotated when the ratchet lever 48 is positioned on thesquared portion 41 of the shaft 42.

A plurality of bearing balls U, journaled in a race 5|, are disposedbetween two thrust plates 52 and 53 which are positioned in a suitablehousing formed by the hub of the main drive bevel gear 40. Thisarrangement serves to permit the 50 main drivegear 40 to be easilyrotated by the handle 49 as well as to prevent the spindle 39 from beingdrawn through the block 20 when the jack is operated.

In operation, the jack, when lowered, is inserted 55 under the object tobe lifted as, for example, the

axle of an automobile. The main drive bevel gear 40 and the associatedspindle 39 are rotated in the direction of the arrow by the crank handle49.

As the spindle 39 rotates it draws the block 25' 60 inwardly towards theblock 20 and since the various links are pivoted at their ends, theyassume a more vertical position thereby elevating the bearing plate 38.The elevation of the bearing plate 38 is continued by the rotation ofthe crank 65 handle until the bearing plate isbrought into contact withthe axle. During this time there is no load on the jack, hence the rapidelevation of the jack by a crank handle having a relatively small offsetor lever portion is possible. As the bearing 70 plate 38 is brought intocontact with the axle it slides ,on the rods 32 and 35 until the load isevenly distributed on the jack. After the bearing plate has been broughtinto engagement with the axle,

shaft 42 and the associated auxiliary bevel gear 75 43 are rotated inthe direction of the arrow by the horizontally movable ratchet lever 48.As the auxiliary gear 43 rotates it drives the bevel gear 40 and theassociated spindle 39 thereby drawing 'the blocks 20 and 25 still closertogether and fur- -ther elevating the bearing plate 38.

To lower the jack the shaft 42 and the auxiliary gear 43 are rotated -inthe opposite direction by the ratchet lever 48 until the bearing plate38 is lowered out of contact with the axle after which the jack may berapidly restored to its initial position by rotating the crank handle49.

Having thus described my invention. what I claim is:

1. In a lifting device, two oppositely disposed blocks, a basepositioned below said blocks, a supporting member positioned above saidblocks, `a plurality of pairs of crossing links associated with saidbase and said blocks, a plurality of pairs of crossing links associatedwith said supporting member and said blocks, a rotatable spindleassociated with said blocks which when rotated in one direction drawssaid blocks together to raise said supporting member and when rotated inthe opposite direction forces said blocks apart to lower said supportingmember, a main drive gear mounted on said spindle and means for applyinga plurality of driving forces which are at an angle to one another tosaid gear.

2. In a lifting device, two oppositely1 disposed blocks, a basepositioned vbelow said blocks, a supporting member positioned above saidblocks, a plurality of pairs of crossing links associated with said baseand said blocks, a plurality of pairs of crossing links associated withsaid supporting member and said blocks, a rotatable spindle associatedwith said blocks which when rotated in one direction draws said blockstogether to raise said supporting member and when rotated in theopposite direction forces said blocks apart to lower said supportingmember, a main drive gear mounted on said spindle, means for applying tosaid gear a driving force in a plane perpendicular to the axis thereof,and means for applying to said gear a driving force in a plane disposedat an angle to the first mentioned plane.

3. In a lifting device, two oppositely disposed blocks, a basepositioned below said blocks, a supporting member positioned above saidblocks, a plurality of pairs of crossing links associated with said baseand said blocks, a plurality of pairs of crossing links associated withsaid supporting member and said blocks, a rotatable spindle associatedwith said blocks which when rotated in one direction draws said blockstogether to raise said supporting member and when rotated in theopposite direction forces said blocks apart to lower said supportingmember, a main drive gear for rotating said spindle, means carried bysaid main drive gear for applying a driving force thereto in one planeand auxiliary means operatively connected to said main drive gear forapplying a driving force thereto in a different plane.

4. In a lifting device, two oppositely disposed blocks, a basepositioned below said blocks, a supporting member positioned above saidblocks, a plurality of pairs of crossing links associated with said baseand said blocks, a plurality of pairs of crossing links associated withsaid supporting member and said blocks, a rotatable spindle associatedwith said blocks which when rotated in one direction draws said blockstogether to raise said supporting member and when rotated in theopposite direction i'orces said blocks apart to lower said supportingmember, a gear for rotating said spindle, means carried by said gear forapplying a force thereto in a plane perpendicular to the axis thereof,and auxiliary means operatively connected to said gear for applying aforce thereto in a plane disposed at an angle to the first mentionedplane.

5. In a'lifting device, two oppositely disposedl when rotated in` theopposite direction forces 9 0 said blocks apart tolower said supportingmember,

a gear for rotating said spindle, a handle carried by said gear forapplying a driving force thereto in one plane and an auxiliary gearoperatively connected to said gear for applying a driving force theretoin a different plane. I

6. In a lighting device, two oppositely disposed blocks, a basepositioned below said blocks, a supporting member positioned above saidblocks, a plurality of lpairs of crossing links associated with saidbase and said blocks, a plurality of pairs of crossing links associatedwith said supporting member and said blocks, a rotatable spindleassociated with said blocks which when rotated in one direction drawssaid blocks together to raise said supporting member and when rotated inthe opposite direction forces said blocks apart to lower said supportingmember, a main drive gear for rotating said spindle, a handle carried bysaid main drive gear for applying force thereto in a plane perpendicularto the axis thereof, andan auxiliary gear operatively connected to saidmain drive gear for-applying force y thereto in a plane disposed at anangle to the first mentioned plane.

' 7. In a lifting device, the combination of two oppositely disposedblocks, a base positioned below said blocks, a supporting memberpositioned above said blocks, a plurality of pairs of crossing linksassociated with said base and said blocks, a

a plurality of pairs of crossing links associated with said supportingmember and said blocks, a spindle one end of which is in threadedengagement `w1th one of said blocks and the other end of which isjournaled in the other of said blocks, means comprising a shelf memberfor preventing longi-j tudinal movement of said spindle through theblock in which said spindle is mounted,.a main drive gear mounted onsaid spindle, a crank handle carried by said main drive gear forrotating the same, a shaft disposed at an angle to said spindle andjournaled in said shelf member 'and in one of said blocks and anauxiliary gear mounted on said shaft and in mesh with said main gear,said shaft being adapted to be rotated by a ratchet lever.

HAROLD J. MARLOWE.

